Running Them into the Ground: The EPL Holiday Fixtures Bonanza Gamethread (26-12-19 - 02-01-2020)
- Thread starter Zososoxfan
- Start date
I stepped away for a moment. VAR makes for a roller coaster viewing experience.
Everton are keeping shape well enough, but not quick enough covering City’s movement or recovering on lost possession.
oh look, more VAR.
West Ham, new manager, same formation, same players.... 2-0 up on Bournemouth.
B'Mouth is definitely going down right? They look awful.
B'Mouth is definitely going down right? They look awful.
I have no idea how that tackle by Sidibe wasn’t a penalty or how the consensus was that it wasn’t one. I’m typically pretty against awarding penalties but that one mystifies me.
I can’t wait to no longer have Bravo. I have no idea how he lost his ability to play the ball but he’s a disaster back there
I can’t wait to no longer have Bravo. I have no idea how he lost his ability to play the ball but he’s a disaster back there
After not being named in the squad Ole has confirmed Pogba is reinjured and will miss a few more weeks.
I have a suspicion we’ll never see him in a United shirt again.
I have a suspicion we’ll never see him in a United shirt again.
Pepe in the right place and directs a goal into the back of the net for 1-0 Arsenal. He has as many goals from run of play under Arteta as his entire time under Emery.
Emery should have taken a job quick. Every day that Arsenal looks better and better, the harder it gets for him to get a job.
Now 2-0 Arsenal off a corner!
Now 2-0 Arsenal off a corner!
That was an exciting 45 minutes from Arsenal. The energy and work rate on the press makes them look like a completely different team. They are passing well (a few nice deep diagonals from Luiz, to give credit where due) and they finally seem like a team with a structure and plan.
That Pepe shot off the post was really well struck, an opportunity created by Lacazette’s press. I have never seen Lacazette run so much without the ball.
They are still a flawed team, but this is encouraging stuff.
That Pepe shot off the post was really well struck, an opportunity created by Lacazette’s press. I have never seen Lacazette run so much without the ball.
They are still a flawed team, but this is encouraging stuff.
The first half was better than Arsenal were in any game under Emery.
I liked the second half as well, in that we managed to sit back and defend without ever losing control and despite being clearly gassed.
Promising signs.
I liked the second half as well, in that we managed to sit back and defend without ever losing control and despite being clearly gassed.
Promising signs.
Everything I saw today was crap. Everton were crap but so was everyone for City other than Jesus. What I saw from the early games was crap.
Plus guys getting hurt left and right, all muscle injuries.
Too many fixtures in too few days.
Plus guys getting hurt left and right, all muscle injuries.
Too many fixtures in too few days.
West Ham cleverly played like crap for 2 months so that they'd be fresh and lively to thrash Bournemouth
As best as I can do, here's the 'before and after' picture of the holiday fixture bonanza (note that I used the official table for matchweek 18 for the before snapshot). Since I can't type below/after the 'before' table, I'll just make the 'before' table one post, and make another after. If a mod can and wants to edit, go for it. I also can't change the column size, so the position column is comically wide.
| Position | Club | Points |
| 1. | Liverpool | 49 (match in hand!) |
| 2. | LCFC | 39 |
| 3. | MANC | 38 |
| 4. | Chelsea | 32 |
| 5. | Sheffield | 28 |
| 6. | Wolves | 27 |
| 7. | Spurs | 26 |
| 8. | United | 25 |
| 9. | Newcastle | 25 |
| 10. | Burnley | 24 |
| 11. | Arse | 23 |
| 12. | Palace | 23 |
| 13. | BHA | 20 |
| 14. | Bournemouth | 19 |
| 15. | Everton | 19 |
| 16. | WHU | 19 (match in hand) |
| 17. | Southampton | 18 |
| 18. | Villa | 15 |
| 19. | Norrich | 12 |
| 20. | Watford | 12 |
After:
| Position | Club | Points |
| 1. | Liverpool | 55 (19 matches played!) |
| 2. | LCFC | 45 |
| 3. | MANC | 44 |
| 4. | Chelsea | 36 |
| 5. | United | 31 |
| 6. | Spurs | 30 |
| 7. | Wolves | 30 |
| 8. | Sheffield | 29 (20 matches played) |
| 9. | Palace | 28 |
| 10. | Arse | 27 |
| 11. | Everton | 25 |
| 12. | Southampton | 25 |
| 13. | Newcastle | 25 |
| 14. | BHA | 24 |
| 15. | Burnley | 24 |
| 16. | WHU | 22 (20 matches played) |
| 17. | Villa | 21 |
| 18. | Bournemouth | 20 |
| 19. | Watford | 19 |
| 20. | Norrich | 14 |
I'm just shocked Chelsea gained ground when they decided to drop points and I guess steal points so easily. Stealing the 3 from Arsenal was amazing, then losing two points to a bicycle kick in the last few minutes a gut punch. I guess 4 points from the 2 makes sense, I would probably have swapped the results though.
It comes down to the fact that it's impossible to figure out any club that currently has a goal differential between +7 and -4. That group includes Chelsea, United, Spurs, Wolves, Sheffield, Palace, Arse, and BHA. BHA in particular has to feel like the universe is against them as they are top 10 in GD. Moreover, the EPL only has 5 clubs with a GD worse than -10 (Bournemouth, Southampton, Newcastle, Watford, Norrich) and even those clubs have taken points off the top 6. But, I'd argue that Chelsea have to feel better about their position than just about anyone else after Spurs sputtered towards the end of the year and United continued their Jeckyl and Hyde routine. Sheffield has been playing a tightrope walk game this season and I don't expect them to be able to hang through the 3Q of the season. Wolves have a good UEL matchup against Espanyol and I think that will hurt them as the season wears on due to rotation. Arsenal has the firepower to keep up, but I don't think Arteta can do anything about the Gooners' lack of quality in the backline and MF.
Will be fun to see if any of these clubs make big moves in the current window. I'm likely biased as a Yid but if Spurs can get a real DMF and shorten their rotation, it could do wonders for them whereas I don't see any other squad that could fix a lot of problems with just one transfer.
Keita was in the starting lineup but seems to have hurt himself in the warmup, so Milner comes in for him.
We will see how quickly Minamino can get settled, he can definitely add some flair to the attack as well.
if my only knowledge of Sheffield United were their matches against Liverpool, I’d conclude that having Dean Henderson as your keeper is like having Heathcliff Slocumb as your closer.
Yeah that was rough by McBurnie, FPL owners worldwide sigh as Lundstram would've had another assist
Did anyone else's feed just pick up Wilder yelling "GET AFTER THE FACKIN BALL"
Love to see Origi as last man back thwarting Billy Sharp's cross
Did anyone else's feed just pick up Wilder yelling "GET AFTER THE FACKIN BALL"
Love to see Origi as last man back thwarting Billy Sharp's cross
Nice bookend to Gomez charging up and winning a corner a few minutes earlier.
Liverpool had 954 completed passes, the most of any team in the Premier League era.
Hey Pep - first they took your completed passes record and next they’re coming for your points record.
And if they win their next league match it will be the best start to a top flight season anywhere - ever.
Fair play to Sheffield. They’re a solid club, play hard, no histrionics, no complaining... Makes for a fun watch.
Never mind that Jose needs points for Top 4 and will be playing at home, he’ll set up for a draw just to say he stopped it.
Fortunately for Liverpool that doesn't seem to be working all that well for Jose. Only one clean sheet in 11 games (Burnley). More goals surrounded than good entire first season at Chelsea.
too. many. fixtures.
It's too much just for the PL in the "festive" period, but for clubs in multiple comps it's brutal. They're going to kill the golden goose. No one wants to see matches full of scrubs and academy products and that's what we're getting.
And I didn’t count the Carabao Cup since that was treated like a youth fixture. And as much as I love the derby, that’s exactly how Klopp should treat the FA cup tie.
Yeah, Liverpool are not and should not be worried about Spurs. They're a fairly easy squad to crack ATM, especially without Kane or Tanguy. If they're lucky, Mou might even start Winks. I shudder thinking about Winks receiving a pass in the defensive third with the Gegenpress squeezing him like a vice. I curled into a ball just thinking about it.